What is sustainability in the arts other than the great things humanity can accomplish on this planet when taking their time: in the humanities, in science, in business. At a time when ugliness is spreading in so many shapes and forms, we need to protect beauty as it tells of the amazing achievements of humankind when we work together, even across generations. It was the French poet Charles Baudelaire who once wrote that only our species is capable of communicating with each other across the centuries via arts and culture, sending light beams through time like lighthouses along the nightly shore. In times of the shortcut, I celebrate the detour. In times of the algorithm, I celebrate serendipity. As for a company like the BMW Group, which has been active in the arts for more than fifty years with hundreds of initiatives worldwide, it is just as important not to end up on the bling-bling side of things but rather in a region where meaning matters most.

Aside from his work at BMW Group, Girst writes books on the visual arts and organizes many major international exhibitions. Among others, he is Professor Emeritus at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich.

Speaker:
Prof. Dr. Thomas GIRST - Global Head ofCultural Engagement at the BMW Group - Munich